Monte Creek Living Land Series Chardonnay 2020 (British Columbia) - Wine Review

I enjoyed the 2017 Monte Creek Ranch Cabernet/Merlot a couple of years ago, and tonight's wine review is a lovely Chardonnay made by the same producer in British Columbia. This new wine is coming to the LCBO this weekend as part of the September 10 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Monte Creek Winery, which is owned by a local B.C. family and supported by a trusted team of on-site professionals to manage the operations. Established in 2009, Monte Creek Winery is located in the Thompson Valley, near Kamloops. Today, Monte Creek is turning its unique growing conditions in the Thompson Valley through quality, innovation and sustainability into award-winning premium wines. They also re-branded (and for the better, in my opinion) since the last time I tasted their wines to better align with their vision.

This particular wine is from their Living Land Series - a celebration of the idea that great wines only come from balanced vines, and earth that is truly alive and thriving. Their philosophy is that in order to grow incredible fruit, you must promote and maintain an environment that is healthy and working with nature, not against it. Far from just dirt, the grapevines used to grow the grapes in the Living Land Series wines are grown not from just dirt, but soils that are biodiverse and alive, and enhancing their vitality is the guiding principle of their viticulture. Flourishing soils make for healthy grapes, and healthy grapes help produce vibrant wines.

Crafted with 100% Chardonnay, the grapes for this wine were grown in the Thompson Valley on Olhausen glaciolacustrine sandy loam and Similkameen glaciofluvial silty loam soils. It underwent wild fermentation and was aged sur lie, with 75% aged in French oak, while the remainder was aged in concrete eggs. By using both of these ageing methods, Monte Creek aims to integrate the oak slightly while also preserving the acidity.

The 2020 growing season in the Thompson Valley is characterized by a relatively cool and slightly compressed season, with 50% budbreak occurring about a week later than normal. Harvest came to an abrupt end due to temperatures falling to -11 Celsius on October 25th. However, with a cool a start to the season combined with the warm late-summer period, the grapes reached phenolic maturity at the same level as sugar maturity. Overall, the wines from 2020 tended to have moderate alcohol levels and well-extracted, refined structure. Let's see how this 2020 Chardonnay from B.C. is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

MONTE CREEK LIVING LAND SERIES CHARDONNAY 2020 - BC VQA British Columbia, Canada (#25658) (XD) - $22.95
Screw cap. Fresh, medium-high intensity nose is richly structured with orchard fruit, apple, and pear aromas nuanced with subtle oak, butter, lemon citrus, and touches of tropical fruit. On the dry, medium-full bodied palate it offers lovely apple, pear, buttery, and citrus replays on the flavour profile and supported by fresh acidity. Well-balanced throughout and impressively structured. More orchard fruits with lemon citrus, and butter with hints of vanilla, tapering to a long, fine, leesy mineral finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91 pts

Other delicious wines by Monte Creek are available at the LCBO and through their Agent - Perigon Beverage Group.

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September 10, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Local Love

As we leave Summer and head into the Fall and Winter gift-giving season, here are my top wine picks from the large September 10, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release. There are a whopping 173 wines in this release and theme focuses on the local wines from Ontario. With this release, the LCBO also returns to its normal bi-weekly in-store releases, and I am expecting large releases right through to the end of the year. All of the wines from this release should be available for purchase by this Saturday.

We begin with the theme that's titled "Local Love" and focuses on Ontario wines. Although there are quite a few nice wines among the nineteen featured in the thematic, just one is among my top wine picks - a lovely Cabernet Franc from Niagara.

As this is a big release, there are more than the usual number of red wine picks. We start in Rhône with a lovely Vacqueyras that is a blend of 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 10% Mourvédre, while the Plan de Dieu is also a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. The last wine from France is from Corbières in Languedoc and it's a blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 15% Carignan. From Italy, the Sicilian red is a blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, while the Brunello di Montalcino is made with 100% Sangiovese, and the Chianti Cliassico is composed of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot. If you're seeking some top California Cabernet Sauvignon at the LCBO, you should get either the Napa Valley Cab which is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 1% Syrah, 1% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot, or the Alexander Valley (Sonoma) Cab that consists of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Malbec. Lastly, the red wine from Spain is a blend of 70% Garnacha Tintorera and 30% Monastrell.

From my white wine recommendations, Sauvignon Blanc could well have been the mini-thematic of the release as there are many very nice Sauv Blanc wines in this release. Three Sauvignon Blanc wines are included among my picks, with a pair from it's classic home in Sancerre (Loire), while the third Sauv Blanc is from the New World in Chile. For Chardonnay wine lovers, there are a pair of lovely wines from the west coast - one from British Columbia and the other from Sonoma Coast. The Crianza from Rioja is a barrel-aged Viura. For those that prefer a pinch of sugar in their wines, there is a Pinot Gris from Oregon and a Riesling from Germany.

Among my dry rosé wine picks, the lovely $25 rosé from Tavel is a blend of mainly Grenache, Clairette, and Syrah, while the $20 Tavel rosé is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache, and Mourvèdre. The rosé from Languedoc is a blend of mainly Cinsault and Grenache, with Caladoc and Syrah in support.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• CHÂTEAU CAMPLONG GRANDE RÉSERVE CORBIÈRES 2020 - AP, Languedoc, France (#12990) (XD) - $13.95
• RÉMY FERBRAS TERRE DE MISTRAL PLAN DE DIEU CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2018 - AP, Rhône, France (#538009) (XD) - $15.95  89 pts  wine review
• FALERNIA GRAN RESERVA SYRAH 2017 - Valle del Elquí, Chile (#16793) (XD) - $16.95
• LAYA 2020 - Vegan, DOP Almansa, Spain (#132605) (XD) - $16.95  89 pts  wine review
• THE PARTY MALBEC 2020 - Vegan, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#24881) (XD) - $19.95
• TORNATORE ETNA ROSSO 2018 - DOC, Sicily, Italy (#487090) (XD) - $24.95

• LAVAU VACQUEYRAS 2018 - AC, Rhône, France (#104927) (XD) - $26.95  92 pts  wine review
• TRINITY HILL MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2020 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#25802) (XD) - $28.95  90 pts  wine review
• TAWSE GROWERS BLEND CABERNET FRANC 2019 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#284570) (XD) - $29.95  91 pts  wine review
• VOLPAIA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2019 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#953828) (XD) - $32.95
• TENUTE SILVIO NARDI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2016 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#922054) (XD) - $49.95
• SEQUOIA GROVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#60020) (XD) - $79.95  93 pts  wine review
• ARCHIMEDES CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#431825) (XD) - $89.95

White Wine:

• DEL RIO VINEYARD ESTATE PINOT GRIS 2020 - Rogue Valley, Oregon, USA (#25110) (D) - $18.95  90 pts  wine review
• ARESTI TRISQUEL GRAN RESERVA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2020 - Sustainable, Valle de Leyda, Chile (#17611) (XD) - $19.95  90 pts  wine review
• DOMDECHANT WERNER GUTS-RIESLING TROCKEN 2019 - Rheingau, Germany (#25710) (D) - $19.95
• MULLINEUX GREAT HEART CHENIN BLANC 2021 - WO Swartland, South Africa (#24764) (XD) - $22.95
• MONTE CREEK LIVING LAND SERIES CHARDONNAY 2020 - BC VQA British Columbia, Canada (#25658) (XD) - $22.95  91 pts  wine review
• NALS MARGREID PUNGGL PINOT GRIGIO 2020 - DOC Südtirol - Alto Adige, Italy (#395756) (XD) - $28.95
• JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE LES CAILLOTTES SANCERRE 2019 - AC, Loire, France (#65573) (XD) - $31.95  92+ pts  wine review
• JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE GENÈSE SANCERRE 2020 - AC, Loire, France (#189126) (XD) - $32.95  92 pts  wine review
• R. LÓPEZ DE HEREDIA VIÑA TONDONIA VIÑA GRAVONIA CRIANZA 2013 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#910711) (XD) - $48.95
• FLOWERS CHARDONNAY 2020 - Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California, USA (#215210) (XD) - $59.95

Rosé Wine:

• LE BIJOU DE SOPHIE VALROSE ROSÉ 2021 - IGP Coteaux de Béziers, Languedoc, France (#20012) (XD) - $15.95
• FAMILLE PERRIN TAVEL 2021 - AC, Rhône, France (#680801) (XD) - $19.95
• CHÂTEAU D'AQUÉRIA TAVEL ROSÉ 2021 - AC, Rhône, France (#319368) (XD) - $24.95  91+ pts  wine review

Sparkling Wine:

• DRAPPIER BRUT NATURE PINOT NOIR CHAMPAGNE - AC, France (#179275) (XD) - $68.95

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Trinity Hill Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a lovely Pinot Noir from Marlborough that makes its debut at the LCBO this weekend as part of the upcoming September 10 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Trinity Hill, a winery that was established in the 1990's on a stony site in the Hawke's Bay wine region, which is located on the North Island of New Zealand. It was founded by Robert and Robyn Wilson and winemaker John Hancock over a glass of wine as they were convinced they could produce world-class wines with grapes grown in the Gimblett Gravels winegrowing district within Hawke's Bay. As one of the region's early pioneers, Trinity Hill planted grapevines in 1993 on a barren plot on the former bed of the Ngaruroro River, a vineyard which is now 18 hectares and known as the Gimblett Estate Vineyard. In 2001, Trinity Hill joined the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowers Association as a founding member. Today, Trinity Hill crafts all except one of its wines using fruit from Hawke's Bay.

This Pinot Noir is from Trinity Hill's regional range of wines and crafted using fruit grown in Marlborough on the South Island. The growing season in 2019/2020 was long and dry, but slightly cooler at the end which allowed the grapes to be picked in pristine condition and featured ripe, concentrated flavours. It was vinified by first de-stemming the fruit prior to fermentation and gently pumped daily over skins during fermentation to help extract a silky structure. The wine was matured in stainless steel tanks for capture and preserve the perfumed aromas and fruit freshness. Let's see how this Marlborough Pinot Noir is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

TRINITY HILL MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2020 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#25802) (XD) - $28.95
Screw cap. Elegant, medium-high intensity nose of red cherry, strawberry, and raspberry aromas with sweet spices, beet root, earth, and hints of black tea adding intrigue. It's medium+ bodied and ripe on the palate with delicious strawberry, cherry, raspberry, and spicy replays on the flavour profile. Lively acids are fresh and juicy. Light, grainy tannins add a nice, textural mouthfeel. Earthy and minerally with tangy red cherry and strawberry notes linger on the long, crisp finish. Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines by Trinity Hill are available through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia, or in very limited quantities at the LCBO.

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Rémy Ferbras Terre de Mistral Plan de Dieu Côtes du Rhône-Villages 2018 (France) - Wine Review

After the enjoying the lovely 2017 Rémy Ferbras Terre de Mistral Plan de Dieu Côtes du Rhône-Villages in Spring of last year, for tonight's red wine review I'm delighted to see the next vintage come to the LCBO next weekend as part of the September 10th LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Rémy Ferbras, a range of wines that pays tribute to the first cellar master of Maison Grandes Serres - a winery with deep roots in the Southern Rhône Valley at the heart of the presigious vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Rémy Ferbras is an iconic figure of the winery as he was a tireless advocate of the Rhône terroir and its grape varieties. He also contributed largely through his work and tenacity to the development and recognition of Grandes Serres. The Rémy Ferbras range is a result of strict selections, precise vinification and ageing, to produce rich, elegant, complex, and flavourful wines, just as Rémy Ferbras would have it.

This red wine from Rhône is a classic blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, or GSM for short. The grapes were grown within the Plan de Dieu Côtes du Rhône-Villages appellation on soils mostly composed of limestone pebbles and brown clay. After harvesting the grapes at optimum maturity, each variety was vinified separately and after alcoholic and malolactic fermentations, the wine was blended and bottled.

The 2018 vintage in the Southern Rhône was a bit of a hit and miss with humidity, mildew, and uneven ripening issues due to unexpected rainfall. However, despite a challenging growing season, the resulting wines were generally good and more densely concentrated that normal with strong fruit flavours and structure. Let's see how this 2018 Rhône wine from Plan de Dieu is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

RÉMY FERBRAS TERRE DE MISTRAL PLAN DE DIEU CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2018 - AP, Rhône, France (#538009) (XD) - $15.95
This classic blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre has a fresh, perfumed, medium-high intensity nose with a lovely bouquet of ripe dark red cherry, floral, and spices with touches of red plum and subtle earthiness. On the medium to medium-full bodied palate it offers delicious red cherry and raspberry flavours in a slightly cooked profile, plus spices and earthy-stony-smoky minerality notes. Acids are fresh and well-balanced, while the tannins are smooth, refined, and lightly structured with a subtle grip on the back palate. Tangy with lovely stony mineral notes lingering on the very long aftertaste. Enjoy this recommended buy over the next 3-4 years. Score: 89 pts

Other lovely wines by Rémy Ferbras are available through their Agent - DBINO David Beauroy Selections.

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Laya 2020 (Spain) - Wine Review

After enjoying the 2018 Laya in January of last year, tonight's wine review is the latest vintage of this delicious, vegan-friendly Spanish red wine that is coming to LCBO VINTAGES on September 10th.

Bodegas Atalaya is a small winery founded by the Gil family in 2007. The bodega is located in the Almansa wine region, within the province of Albacete, in the east of Spain's largest winegrowing region, La Mancha, and in a transition zone between the high central plateau of La Mancha and the Mediterranean Sea. The region's vineyards are located on mainly flat areas of land with low-fertile, limestone soils, and experience very little rainfall which forces the vines to work hard and deep into the soils in the search for nutrients. Extreme hot and cold temperatures in the region promote higher acidity and freshness. The prinicple grape of the region is Garnacha Tintorera (aka Alicante Bouschet) followed by Monastrell (aka Mourvèdre), with both of these grape varieties thriving in the region.

The Gil family produced their first wines from humble beginnings in 1916 in the heart of Jumilla, which is just south of Almansa. Founded by Juan Gil Gimènez and continuously family-owned, Gil Family Estates is currently run by fourth generation of the family - brothers Miguel and Ángel. Today, Gil Family Estates is made up of a number of small wineries with over 1,400 hectares of total vineyards across Spain's many winegrowing regions. They craft wines using only indigenous varieties.

This red wine is crafted using 70% Garnacha Tintorera and 30% Monastrell that was grown in DOP Almansa. The bush vines are planted on calcareous soils between 700 and 1000 metres above sea level and produce grapes that concentrate complexity, structure, colour, and fruit forward flavours. It was vinified by fermentation in stainless steel tanks and followed by ageing in French oak barrels for 4 months.

The 2020 vintage in Castilla La Mancha is described as "excellent" and the best in the last 10 years. Let's see how this red wine from Almansa is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

LAYA 2020 - Vegan, DOP Almansa, Spain (#132605) (XD) - $16.95
This blend of 70% Garnacha Tintorera and 30% Monastrell has a fragrant, intensely aromatic nose offering very ripe black-blue-purple fruit aromas joined by plummy and savoury undertones with touches of pepper spice, limestone mineral, and floral. It's medium+ bodied on the dry palate with ripe black-blue-purple berry and plum flavours. Some peppery spice and earthy mineral notes add a nice savoury component. It's balanced with fresh acidity and supple, lightly structured, and grainy tannins. Mineral notes linger on the long, supple finish. Recommended buy! Score: 89 pts

Other delicious wines by Gil Family Estates and Bodegas Atalaya can be ordered through their Agent - Profile Wine Group.

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August 27, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Flagship & Online Exclusives

This release was meant to be the last experiment of the summer where the entire release is available exclusively online via lcbo.com. However, the August 27, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release will not only be available on lcbo.com, but also brings with it the return of Flagship Exclusives. Thus, the final release of summer will be available both in-store at Flagship Exclusive locations and online at lcbo.com. There are 53 wines in this release and all of the wines should be available for purchase by Saturday, and quite possibly a day or two earlier.

As per the usual, there is no theme to this release, so we begin with my top red wine recommendations. We start with a pair of lovely New World Pinot Noir wines - one from Chile and the other from New Zealand. There is also a fine Gamay from the volcanic soils of Côte du Py in Beaujolais, while the Barolo is, of course, made with Nebbiolo. My last red wine pick is from Chile and it is crafted using the País varietal - a grape of Spanish origin that was exported abroad and was Chile's most widely planted variety up until the turn of the 21st century.

The País varietal has various synonyms in Argentina and is most often referred to as Criolla Chica. In this release, I am delighted to finally see Criolla come to VINTAGES and it arrives in the form of a Pét-Nat sparkling wine that was grown in Mendoza.

Among my top white wine picks, the only blend is the Rioja Blanco that consists of 90% Viura and 10% Malvasia, all of it aged for 6 years in barrel. Single varietal wines include a pair of excellent Chardonnay wines - one from Niagara and the other from Friuli, as well as a Grüner Veltliner from Wachau in Austria. Lastly, the Riesling Trocken from Rheingau has just a pinch of sweetness.

Enjoy my top wine picks from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• CASAS DEL BOSQUE GRAN RESERVA PINOT NOIR 2019 - Valle de Casablanca, Chile (#525022) (XD) - $22.95  91 pts  wine review
• LABERINTO ARCILLAS PAÍS 2020 - DO Valle del Maule, Chile (#24759) (XD) - $24.95
• PIERRE DUPOND MORGON CÔTE DU PY 2018 - AP, Beaujolais, France (#18419) (XD) - $26.95
• CLOS HENRI PINOT NOIR 2017 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#56556) (XD) - $34.95
• ABRIGO GIOVANNI RAVERA BAROLO 2016 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#25743) (XD) - $58.95

White Wine:

• TEGERNSEERHOF SMARAGD BERGDISTEL GRÜNER VELTLINER 2017 - Wachau, Austria (#377606) (XD) - $36.95
• BACHELDER WISMER-WINGFIELD OUEST VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2019 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#520403) (XD) - $47.95
• LIS NERIS JUROSA CHARDONNAY 2018 - DOC Friuli Isonzo, Friuli, Italy (#382960) (XD) - $48.95
• LOPEZ DE HEREDIA VIÑA TONDONIA RESERVA BLANCO 2010 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#45500) (XD) - $67.95
• LEITZ BERG SCHLOSSBERG GROSSES GEWÄCHS RIESLING TROCKEN 2019 - Qualitätswein, Rheingau, Germany (#27115) (D) - $78.95

Sparkling Wine:

• ALPAMANTA BREVA PÉT-NAT SPARKLING CRIOLLA 2021 - Vegan, ancestral method, Mendoza, Argentina (#24889) (XD) - $32.95  91+ pts  wine review

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Ferzo Abruzzo Pecorino Superiore 2021 (Abruzzo) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is this lovely Pecorino (not to be confused with the cheese) from Abruzzo that arrived at the LCBO last weekend as part of the feature on summer white wines in the August 13 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Ferzo Wines, an estate that was founded in 1973 in Abruzzo and is now owned by Codice Citra. 'Ferzo' is a patch of fabric that is stitched together with others to create a large sail - and its shape adorns the label of each Ferzo wine. With wine, the union of the finest viticultural "patches" in Abruzzo gives life to Ferzo in a single grand label that embraces the region's indigenous grape varieties.

The wines of Ferzo grow out of a small-scale, highly selected viticultural operation, and in the skilful hands of local vintners. Ferzo aims to promote the local Abruzzo grape varieties and showcase the Abruzzo vocation for winemaking. All of the grapes are grown in the province of Chieti which has a variety of terroirs and microclimates, with each contributing unique characteristics to the grapes aromas and flavours to produce wines of uncompromising quality.

Pecorino is traditionally grown in Central Italy anywhere from the tops of mountains to coastal hillsides and often reflects the complexities of its terroir. From autochthonous vines, this Pecorino was grown on the eastern side of Central Italy within the region of Abruzzo in the hills of the province of Chieti. After harvesting the grapes in September, it was gently pressed after short contact with skins at low temperatures. It was fermented in stainless steel tanks at a controlled-temperature to enhance the aromatic qualities of Pecorino.

The 2021 growing season had low rain and consequentially led to a long, dry and hot summer. With careful management in the vineyard, the result was fruit of excellent quality. I've tasted several previous vintages of this white wine and it's always delicious. Let's see how this 2021 Pecorino from Abruzzo is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

FERZO ABRUZZO PECORINO SUPERIORE 2021 - DOP, Abruzzo, Italy (#573683) (XD) - $17.95
The fresh, medium-high intensity nose offers lovely ripe tropical fruit, citrus, peach, melon, floral, and apple aromas with hints of pineapple and minerals adding further interest. On the medium-full bodied it is ripe, lightly honeyed, yet dry, with ripe pineapple, tropical fruit, melon, citrus, and floral flavours with touches of minerality. It's all supported by fresh, vibrant, and juicy acidity, while leesy minerals flecked with citrus, tropical fruit, and apple notes linger on the long, juicy, and succulent finish. Quite possibly my favourite vintage so far. Highly recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines by Ferzo can be ordered through their Agent - Univins and Spirits.

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